thunder

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈθʌndə/ (General American) enPR: thŭn′dər, IPA(key): /ˈθʌndɚ/ Rhymes: -ʌndə(ɹ) Hyphenation: thun‧der === Etymology 1 === From Middle English thunder, thonder, thundre, thonre, thunnere, þunre, from Old English þunor (“thunder”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunr, from Proto-Germanic *þunraz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ten-, *(s)tenh₂- (“to thunder”). Compare astound, astonish, stun. Germanic cognates include West Frisian tonger, Dutch donder, German Donner, Old Norse Þórr (English Thor), Danish torden, Norwegian Nynorsk tore. Other cognates include Persian تندر (tondar), Latin tonō, detonō, Ancient Greek στένω (sténō), στενάζω (stenázō), στόνος (stónos), Στέντωρ (Sténtōr), Irish torann, Welsh taran, Gaulish Taranis. Doublet of donner, Thunor, and Thor. ==== Noun ==== thunder (countable and uncountable, plural thunders) The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt. A deep, rumbling noise resembling thunder. An alarming or startling threat or denunciation. (obsolete) The discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt. (literature) Synonym of thunder word. ===== Usage notes ===== roll, clap, peal are some of the words used to count thunder e.g. A series of rolls/claps/peals of thunder were heard ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Alemannic German: Thönder → Japanese: サンダー (sandā) → Tagalog: tanders → Tok Pisin: tanda ===== Translations ===== ===== See also ===== lightning === Etymology 2 === From Middle English thundren, from Old English þunrian (“to thunder”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunrōn, from Proto-Germanic *þunrōną (“to thunder”). ==== Verb ==== thunder (third-person singular simple present thunders, present participle thundering, simple past and past participle thundered) (impersonal) To produce thunder; to sound, rattle, or roar, as a discharge of atmospheric electricity. (intransitive) To make a noise like thunder. (ergative) To (make something) move very fast (with loud noise). (intransitive, transitive) To say (something) with a loud, threatening voice. To produce something with incredible power. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== (to say something with a loud, threatening voice): thunderer thundering herd problem ===== Translations ===== ===== See also ===== thundering == Middle English == === Noun === thunder alternative form of thonder